SA Defence

Defence committees provide recommendations to SA defence sector after German study tour

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Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) and Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) recently conducted a study tour to Germany, and...

2024 Senior Command and Staff Programme underway at SANWC

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The academic year at the SA National War College (SANWC) in Centurion’s Irene is up and running with the 2024 Joint Senior Command and...

SANDF personnel swap rifles for brooms on maintenance day

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SA National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel from the four services last Friday (19 January) responded to General Rudzani Maphwanya’s maintenance day call. Armed with shovels,...

2024 MSD intake reports for two years duty

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2024, specifically January, saw the first biennial military skills development (MSD) intake into the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) – with annual intakes sacrificed...

Anti-illegal mining ops net equipment, ore, diamonds and weapons

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Ten days in December saw South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers detached to an Operation Prosper illicit mining task force make a multi-million...

Soldiers and police combine to make Thaba Tshwane safer

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“Frequently committed” crimes and violations in Thaba Tshwane coupled with an instruction from a SA National Defence Force (SANDF) service chief saw soldiers and...

No word yet on Armed Forces Day 2024 venue

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A month ahead of annual SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Armed Forces Day, its corporate communicators couldn’t or weren’t allowed to make known the...

SANDF gets specialist truck transport for Military Police motorcycles

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The Military Police Division of the Department of Defence (DoD) now has a specialist transport capability to move its high-powered and specially equipped BMW...

SAMHS welcomes returning military medical students from Cuba

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The Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force, Lieutenant General Ntshavheni Peter Maphaha, has welcomed home 13 soldiers from Cuba after completing...

Infantry School welcomes 2024 MSD recruits

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The landward force component of this year’s military skills development (MSD) intake arrived at the SA Army Infantry School this week where, in addition...

SA Navy Chief visits Egyptian counterpart

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The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, has met his Egyptian counterpart during a visit to the North African nation. Lobese was...

Meet Zanele Mhlongo: SA Navy’s first ever female Non-Commissioned MEOCC holder

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Being the first female Non-Commissioned Officer to attain a Marine Engineering Officer Charge Certificate (MEOCC) in the South African Navy is not an easy...

SANDF tight-lipped on illegal mining deployment

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The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is keeping its cards close to its chest as far as what and where its personnel are...

Minister Modise MIA for Defence Force Service Commission

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At the centre of its raison d’etre for the Defence Force Service Commission (DFSC), a ministerial advisory body is supposed to provide expert advice...

SANDF Chief says SA will put “more effort” into DR Congo

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General Rudzani Maphwanya, SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief, used this year’s thanksgiving service to alert those he commands there will be a further...

Beware – Reserve Force recruitment scam

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In the wake of another military recruiting scam being uncovered, the senior communication and media liaison officer in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF)...

Saldanha graduation parade for youth leadership recruits

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Being the smallest combat service in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) does not mean the SA Navy (SAN) shirks its duties to government's...

SA Army seeking heavy-duty camping stretchers

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The SA Army plans to acquire “oversized camping stretchers”. An Armscor tender, ELWS/2023/93, now closed and seemingly removed from the defence and security acquisition agency’s...

Modise “hopeful” DPE will pay for Eskom deployment

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SA National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel have been part of “securing critical infrastructure” in the form of Eskom power stations and ancillary equipment for...

SA infantry battalions and intelligence units rotate in DR Congo

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Elections and the impending closure of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) do not appear to have...

Ten-day Light Modern Brigade blitz nets 360 illegal miners and equipment worth millions

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The Presidential deployment of soldiers to assist police in curbing South Africa’s seemingly ever-burgeoning illegal mining sector is paying dividends with SA National Defence...

7 Med proficiency parade

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7 Medical Battalion Group, the elite unit of the SA Military Health Service (SAMHS), presented proficiency badges and certificates during a parade at its...

“Insults” don’t deserve comment – DoD Head of Communication

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The senior communicator at the South African Department of Defence (DoD), Siphiwe Dlamini, told defenceWeb he does not respond to “insults”. This was in reaction...

South Africa hosts China-South Africa Defence Committee

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South Africa has hosted the ninth meeting of the China-South Africa Defence Committee, which marks a continuation of the close defence ties between the...

More soldiers in place to tackle illegal mining

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa used last week’s Free State presidential imbizo to make public the deployment of a further 395 soldiers in the...

Calls for investigation into SANDF’s R5 million military funeral

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The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party has called for an investigation into the R5 million funeral of SA National Defence Force Chief Logistics, Lieutenant...

Junior Staff and Command Course 2023 finishes on a high note

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Over 300 SA Army members, primarily Majors, are en route to become staff officers after making the grade in the 2023 Junior Command and...

SANDF Chief denies allegations of a secret rogue unit but questions remain

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Following media allegations of a secret SANDF “death squad” allegedly involved in kidnapping, torture and murder, the Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya,...

Two hundred plus army formative officers’ course soldiers make the grade

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The SA Army Gymnasium in Heidelberg, Gauteng, was home to over 200 young men and women aspiring to be officers in the landward force...

Lobese pleads for the underfunding of the SA Navy to stop

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Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, has begged government to stop underfunding the service as its ability to protect South Africa’s...

DA urges release of SANDF criminal activity report amid ongoing allegations

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The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)...

Progress being made in fixing SA Navy – Lobese

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Submarine and frigate refits, new inshore patrol vessels and a new hydrographic survey vessel are some of the markers of progress the SA Navy...

Ruth First Detachment graduates from SA National War College

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The last day of November saw 81 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) officers graduate after they were “found competent” by instructors at the SA...

PCDMV calls for urgency on new SANDF strategic direction

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The budgetary review and recommendations report (BRRR) of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) has nine recommendations for improving the well-being...

SANDF going the same route as Eskom, SAA and Transnet – Heitman

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Days after SA Army Chief, Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, informed SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya, the landward force was combat...

Defence and associated entities’ annual reports cost R1 million plus over three years

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Production of annual reports and financial statements in the defence and military veterans portfolio cost over R1.6 million over the past three financial years. The...

SA military medics kick off first prestige week

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Today (Tuesday, 28 November) marks day one of the first-ever SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) Prestige Week with Surgeon General Lieutenant General Peter Maphaha...

SA Army awards presented at CTC following Ex Vuk’uhlome 2023

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In addition to declaring forces combat ready after a successful end to Exercise Vuk’uhlome last week, SA Army Chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha honoured...

DoD fraud cases topping a billion Rand under investigation

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Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) heard from outgoing SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Provost Marshal General, Rear Admiral (JG) Mokgadi Maphoto, there...

Gallery: Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2023

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Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2023 reaches climax during Distinguished Visitors Day

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Months of hard work, training and tragedy reached a head on Wednesday 22 November when the South African Army hosted its Distinguished Visitors’ Day...

VIPs at CTC for ex Vuk’uhlome finale

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With the SA Army division level exercise Vuk’uhlome reaching its climax in the semi-desert Northern Cape this week, a gathering of senior military officers...

Money recovered from crime will go to fight crime

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All three main legs of the South African security machine – Border Management Authority (BMA), SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and SA Police Service...

Vacant posts filled in latest round of senior SANDF promotions

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By far the majority of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) appointments/promotions in a 2023/24 bulletin made public this week see senior officers filling vacant...

First Light Modern Brigade deployment will tackle zama zamas

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Stirring words from the officer at the helm of the SA Army during a first light parade at the Combat Training Centre (CTC) set...

Medics ready for whatever may come during Ex Vuk’uhlome

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The SA Army division level exercise Vuk’uhlome is underway at the Combat Training Centre (CTC) in Lohathla, Northern Cape, with as per standard operating...

Forward movement reported on Mzansi Home Guard

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Progress on activation and implementation of the Mzansi Home Guard, first proposed three years ago, was reported to a November meeting of Parliament’s Joint...

Defence budget cuts impact Reserve Force capability, JSCD told

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The reserve component of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is seen as a valued contributor to the “one force” concept and continues to...

Parliament wants to know what’s happening with Chief Defence Reserves

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The non-appearance of Major General Stephen Marumo, the last permanent Chief Defence Reserves, at last week’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) meeting raised...